If you’re wondering how to track your child’s Android phone, you’ve come to the right place. Read on to discover the circumstances in which you might want to check their device, and learn how Google and child-tracking apps grant you access to track an Android’s phone location, messages, calls, and more.
Why Would I Want to Track My Kid’s Phone?
There are multiple reasons why you, as a parent, might want to track a kid’s phone. If you’re like us, you’re constantly worrying about their wellness and safety.
Sad to say, the online world is becoming increasingly dangerous for young children, with 9.95% experiencing predatory behavior online. Accessing their messages, calls, and shared images can help you to establish whether they’re at risk.
Alternatively, if your child has lost their phone, then you may need to track an Android phone’s location. It’s easy to locate a family member with simple online tools and apps like Google Maps and Parentaler.
What Is the Best App to Track Your Child’s Phone?
This article will provide detailed instructions about how to track an Android phone, but before that let’s consider what a parental control app is and how it can help you to track an Android phone’s location – among other useful features.
Parental control apps give you access to the otherwise private information stored on your child’s phone. Parents use the apps to make sure their children are safe. The most popular reason for tracking is to determine a GPS location, but there are lots more to parental control apps than you might think.
These apps also offer parents the opportunity to obtain access to social media messages from platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, an extensive call history alongside a list of contacts stored on the phone and online, shared images and videos, and the ability to see what apps have been installed on the device.
The best parental control app is Parentaler, which we’ll explore in closer detail now.
How to Install a Parental Control App? Detailed Guide for Android Users
Installing Parentaler for tracking your children’s location and accessing their messages is as simple as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. You just need to follow these five simple steps to set Parentaler up, and after that, you’ll be able to track your child’s GPS, texts, shared content, and more.
- Purchase a Parentaler subscription.
You can’t install Parentaler on your target device without a subscription to the platform. To do this, you’ll need to create an account on the site, choose Android as the device you want to track, select a package of one, three, or 12 months, and make the payment. You’ll then be sent an email with all the instructions you need. It’s that simple.
- Disable Play Protect
You’ll need access to your child’s Android phone for the next part. Unlock your child’s device using their passcode and go to the Play Store app. From here, select the user in the top right corner, and then the three lines that appear on the top left-hand side.
Select the Play Protect option, then tap the settings icon in the top right corner. Switch both toggles to off.
- Download Parentaler
Open the Google Chrome app on the target device. This should be preinstalled; if not, you can download it from the Play Store app. Enter the website link provided to you in your instructions email, confirm you’re not a robot, and wait for the download to complete.
Note that you may see a prompt asking you to allow the app installation to happen. In this case, you must grant permission.
- Install Parentaler
Tap Allow when asked about granting access to different features. Enter the registration code you received upon starting your subscription, and tap complete installation.
- Start Tracking
Now questions like, “How to track my child’s Android phone?” and “How do I find my child’s phone?” are in the past.
Free Methods to Track Your Child’s Phone
Looking for a free child tracking app for Android? The good news is that they do exist, but there are issues to be aware of. Read on to discover some of the free-of-charge methods you could consider using.
Method 1: Location Tracking with Google’s Family Link
Google’s Family Link is a free child tracking app for Android, though it does require the target device to be signed into an account linked to the service.
If that’s the case, all you need to do is open the Family Link for Parents app on your device. Your phone doesn’t need to be an Android for this to work, however, the child’s phone does.
Select the person you’d like to track and scroll down until you see the Set Up option. Tap this, then select Turn On. You’ll now be able to see their location on a map. Note that this service alerts your child that you’re tracking them, which could cause an argument.
Method 2: Track Your Child’s Phone Using Google Maps
So long as you know your child’s Google account credentials, you can track their location using Google Maps. Simply log into their account, visit Google Maps, open Timeline, and select the Visited Places tab on the menu. Now you’ll be able to see where your child has been.
Method 3: Try Using Google’s Find My Device
If none of these options work for you, but you’re still wondering how to track a location on Android, consider using Find My Device. You’ll need to know your child’s Google account credentials, and use these to log into their account. If you know their details, you can track their location through the website with no need to download the app.
Note that your child needs to have their Location and Find My Device settings switched on for this to work.
FAQ
An Android phone can be tracked remotely, but first, you’ll need to install an app onto the target device. As outlined in the Parentaler instructions above, there are a few steps to follow, but it shouldn’t take more than five minutes. Once installed, you’ll be able to access information from your phone.
It’s not illegal to track your child’s phone, so long as they’re under the age of 18. It’s deemed that children aren’t mature enough to navigate the dangerous online or physical worlds.
Once a parental control app is installed on the target device, it remains hidden. However, you will need access to the phone in the first place to install the software. It only takes five minutes, and so can be done without knowledge.
Conclusion
Whether you’re a worried parent looking for a kids’ location tracker or you want to check that they’re not in a vulnerable online situation, there are multiple solutions for Android target devices. While free-of-charge services have some uses, they tend to also have complications that paid-for apps like Parentaler don’t.
